News Release

Bear Lake Road Reopens In Rocky Mountain National Park Most Trails West Of Bear Lake Road Remain Closed

Date: November 19, 2020
Contact: Kyle Patterson, Public Affairs Officer, 970-586-1363
Contact: Park Information, 970-586-1206

Bear Lake Road in Rocky Mountain National Park reopened today after being closed since October 22, due to the East Troublesome Fire.  All areas and trails east of Bear Lake Road have reopened.    

Most areas west of Bear Lake Road remain closed including the Moraine Park Road at the junction of Bear Lake Road and the Moraine Park Campground. Trails that remain closed include the Fern Lake Trail, Cub Lake Trail, the Mill Creek Basin, Hollowell Park, and Bierstadt Trail.     

The trail system in the Bear Lake area has reopened. The Flattop Trail is open to the summit of Flattop Mountain but is closed past this point to the west of the Continental Divide. The Odessa/Fern Lake Trail is closed at the Odessa/Flattop Trail junction. The Bierstadt Trail is also closed at the Bear Lake/Bierstadt Trail junction.    

The west side of Rocky Mountain National Park remains closed past the Grand Lake Entrance as does the North Inlet Trail and the Sun Valley Trail, due to the level of fire impacts and ongoing safety assessments.       

Additional areas that will remain temporarily closed to park visitors on the east side of the park include Upper Beaver Meadows Road, the North Boundary Trail, the North Fork Trail, and Mummy Pass, Stormy Pass, Commanche Peak and Mirror Lake Trails.  Park staff will continue to assess these areas for fire activity, safety and downed trees, being mindful of high winds that occur this time of year causing more trees to fall.       

On Wednesday, October 21, the East Troublesome Fire ran approximately 18 miles before it moved into the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park, and then spotted approximately 1.5 miles from the head of Tonahutu Creek on the west side of the Continental Divide to the head of Spruce Creek on the east side of the Continental Divide. Rapid evacuations took place in Grand Lake on October 21. Evacuations for the majority of the Estes Valley were implemented on October 22, as weather predictions forecast major winds on the night of October 23 through October 24 pushing the fire further to the east.  Firefighting actions and favorable weather on October 24 and 25, helped halt the major movement of the East Troublesome and Cameron Peak Fires.      

Approximately 30,000 acres or 9 percent of Rocky Mountain National Park has been impacted by the East Troublesome and Cameron Peak Fires.     

Rocky Mountain National Park’s non-profit partner, The Rocky Mountain Conservancy, is accepting donations to support the park’s future restoration efforts from this season’s fires https://rmconservancy.org/join-or-give/donate/    

For information on the East Troublesome Fire visit https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7242/ For information on the Cameron Peak Fire visit https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6964/  

For further information about Rocky Mountain National Park, please visit www.nps.gov/romo or contact the park’s Information Office at 970-586-1206.